Exceptional horologic works of art

Hotel Noga Hilton, Geneva, Oct 11, 2003

LOT 78

Commedia dell'arte. Guidon, Rémond and Gide Co., Geneva, enamel by Jean-Louis Richter, end of the 18th century. Magnificent 18K gold and painted on enamel, pearl-set oval snuff box.

CHF 30,000 - 40,000

EUR 19,500 - 26,000

Sold: CHF 86,000

C. Two-body, the lid very finely painted with a landscape of Interlaken - a sleeping shepherdess with her sheep and a goat, a bridge, a castle atop a hill, a lake and mountains in the background, split-pearl border, the sides with four vignettes painted with Alpine scenes surrounded by a spray of exquisite paillons forming flower garlands against translucent imperial blue enamel over engine-turning, the base with a superbly painted scene depicting a traveling Commedia dell'arte theater in the countryside, encircled by exquisite paillon flower garlands, against en suite blue enamel, the whole framed by a gold twisted ribbon pattern on a black and white enamel ground. Punched with the maker's mark inside the lid, the enamel signed by Richter.Dim. 89 x 61 mm


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Grade:
Case: 3 - 47
Movement: -
Dial: -

Notes

This is one of the finest tabatieres ever produced in Geneva, by the best goldsmiths and enamellists of the period. Richter, who rarely signed his work, must have considered it an exceptional piece. Jean-Louis Richter (1766-1841): learned his art under David-Etienne-Roux and Philippe-Samuel-Théodore Roux. He did not often sign his work, but it is clearly recognizable from the style and quality of the painting. Richter applied his art principally to watch cases and snuff boxes largely destined for the Chinese, Turkish, British and Italian markets. In 1828 he was in partnership with Aimé-Julien Troll (1781-1852).Richter often found inspiration for his work from paintings or engravings by artists in vogue: Van der Myn (1684-1741), Giovanni Battista Cipriani (1727-1785), John Francis Rigaud (1742-1820), John Hoffner (1748-1810) and Francesco Bartolozzi (1727-1815), or from scenes such as the "Abduction of Helen" by Guido Reni (1575-1642).For a note on Rémond, and Guidon, Rémond and Gide, see lot 67.